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Since we'd gotten settled into our hotel yesterday, and our meet and greet wasn't until 3 pm, we had plenty of time to do more exploring. We'd already realized the Rue Cler area near the hotel had a lot to offer - restaurants, shops, fresh orange juice (makes me smile to think about it) at the markets and other good things to eat! We checked our Rick Steves Paris 2017 guidebook and chose restaurants accordingly. Le Royal Café was our go-to place for evening meals when we weren't with our group. There were daily specials very reasonably priced, and for us older Americans who can't wait until 9 pm for dinner, service was fast and courteous, and the desserts were really good. By the end of the week, we felt like family, and things aren't that crowded at 7 pm.
Paris City Hall (Hôtel de Ville de Paris)
After meeting our fellow travelers at the hotel, we toured the city by bus. You see the Big Wheel which is something Parisians love to hate. After the tour we had our first meal together at La Terrasse. The three evening meals we had at different restaurants were all consistently very good. Breakfast of course was at the hotel - wonderful croissants, baguettes, yogurt, cheeses, etc. While Paris is an expensive city, we took advantage of quick lunches at inexpensive eateries. After all, we were more interested in experiencing the city than in spending too much time and money in fancy restaurants. We travel a good bit and must be budget travelers.
One difference between dining in Europe and in the US is that once you have your table, you have it for the night if you choose. It's taken us a long time to get used to that, and if you want your bill, you just have to politely ask for it. Again, there's always so much to do and see and so little time!
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